Automatic air-brake coupling.



R. J. MITCHELL. AEITOMATIC AIR BRAKE GOUPLING. APPLIOAfI'ION FILED JULY15, 1911.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

I N VE N TOR ///7Z/1e// WITNESSES ATTORNEYS,

R. J. MITCHELL. AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 15,1911.

PatentedFeb. 13, 1912 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mm, mm QM MN @N \m mm Q $1 Q M NM, K mm N M Q Q Q %m N mm mm. m mm Q \k1 3 R Q\ R m m w m lV/T/VESSES:

A TTORNE Y5,

R. J. MITCHELL. AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE COUPLING. APPLIOATION FILED JULY15,1911.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' A TTORNE Y.-5

PV/TNESSES:

FOLUMBIA PLANOflRAPl-l 60.. wAsmNu'mN. D. c.

ROBERT J. MITCHELL, OF MARION, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Application filed July 15, 1911. Serial No. 638,638.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Marion, in the county of Marion and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticAir-Brake Couplings, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to automatic air brake couplings, and the primaryobject of my invention is the provision of positive and reliable means,in a manner as will be herein set forth, for automatically connectingthe train line pipes of two cars, thereby obviating the necessity ofusing hose couplings, a trainman going between two cars to couple thetrain lines, and avoid all danger of disconnection under ordinaryworking conditions.

A further object of this invention is to provide an air-brake couplingthat will readily adjust itself during the coupling of cars, thecoupling being equipped with a draft compliance for the vibrations andmovements set up during the coupling operation and the movement of atrain.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to behereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein there is illustrateda preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood thatthe structural elements are susceptible to such changes in size, shapeand proportions as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side ele vation of the coupling; Fig. 2is a longitudinal sectional view of the same; Fig. 3

is a cross sectional view of the coupling; Fig. 4 is a plan of adetached bearing; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another detachedbearing, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a hanger.

The reference numeral 1 denotes a car coupler of the ordinary and wellknown type, the Tower automatic coupler, and suitably attached to thebottom of said coupler are bearings 2 and 3. The bearing 3, as shown inFig. 4 of the drawings, is especially designed to fit the under side ofthe coupler and this bearing is braced by longitudinal frame 4 connectedto the coupler simultaneously with the means employed for connecting thebearing 2. The bearings 2 and 3 have lower confronting sides thereofprovided with boxes 5, slotted'as at 6, to provide clearance forconnecting bar 7 of two hangers 8. The upper ends of the hangers 8 havecross heads 9 provided with depending pins 10. These pins extend toopenings 11 in the bottom of each box and are encircled by compressionsprings 12.

Pivotally connected to the under side of the frame 4 is a lever 13,having a handle 14 and a cam surface 15 adapted to ride int-o engagementwith the upper surface of the bar 7 and depress said bar to correctlyposition the hangers 8, as will hereinafter appear.

The lower ends of the hangers 8 are connected by a longitudinal bar 16and said hangers have longitudinal alining opening 17 for barrel ortubular body 18 of the coupling. The forward end of the body 18 isscrew-threaded to receive the nipple 19 of a coupling head 20. The head20 has a longitudinal port 21 formed therein, the forward end of theportterminating in the inner side of the head, as at 22, and the rearend of the port terminating in a small opening 23 in communication withthe body 18.

The head 20 has the inner side thereof provided with an offset portion24, reinforced by a web or rib 25. The ofiset portion 24 has twoforwardly extending projections 26 and 27 arranged in parallelism withthe projection 26 confronting the inner side of the head 20. Theseprojections have alining openings 28 and 29 with the walls of theopening 29 screw-threaded to receive a plug 30 to which is detachablyconnected a. socket member 31 cooperating with a similar member 32movably mounted in the opening 28. Interposed between the members 31 and32 is a coiled compression spring 33. The end of the-member 26 isbeveled, as at 34, to facilitate another coupling head entering orengaging the head 20, the other coupling head being identical inconstruction to that just described. The head has the outer side thereofprovided with a button or enlargement 35, adapted to be engaged by themember 32 to assist in retaining the heads together, and the head has aforwardly projecting flange 36 for a purpose that will presently appear.The rear end of the body 18 has the inner walls thereof screwthreaded,as at 37 to receive a tubular housing 38, said housing having theforward end thereof completely open and the rear end thereof partiallyclosed, with the exception of an opening 39. Screwed upon the protrudingend of the housing 38 is a hollow cap 40 provided with a nipple 41adapted to be connected by a hose or otherwise flexibly connected to atrain line pipe (not shown).

Slidably mounted in a longitudinal opening 43, provided therefor in thehead 20, is an actuating valve stem 44, having the forward end thereofextending into a recess 45, adapted to receive the flange 36 of anothercoupling head. The rear end of the valve stem 44 is providedwith a valve46 adapted to normally close the opening 23 of the head 20, and saidvalve has a rod 47 extending longitudinally of the nipple 19 and thebody 18. Encircling said rod, between the valve 46 and the rear end ofthe housing 38, is a coiled compression spring 48, a portion of which issurrounded by the housing 38; between the hangers 8 is a large spring49, and extending between two of the convolutions of said spring is apin 50, carried by the body 18. The spring 49 is employed to cushion amovement of the body 18 and normally maintain said body in the hangers8.

When two cars are placed together, the coupling heads 20 readilyinterlock and the flanges 36 actuate the stems 44 to open the valves 46and thereby establish communication between the train lines through themedium of the elements 20, 18, 38, 40, 41, and 42.

Should there be any inequality between the tension of the set of springs12 of one coupling and another coupling, the lever 13 of either couplingcan be moved, whereby the hangers will be raised or lowered to permit ofthe coupling heads 20 interlocking. This vertical adjustment of thecouplings is only necessary when the tension of the springs 12 isimpaired by long use.

The tubular bodies carried by the opposing ends of the cars areoppositely disposed with respect to each other, that is to say, one isinverted with respect to the other whereby the two heads can be coupledtogether when occasion so requires.

What I claim is 1. In an automatic air brake coupling, brackets, hangersmovably supported by said brackets, a tubular body movably mounted onsaid hangers, a coupling head carried by said body and in communicationtherewith, a normally closed valve arranged in said body, a stem carriedby said valve and extending to said coupling head adapted to be actuatedby another coupling head to open said valve, and means, including a camlever carried by said brackets and adapted to adjust said hangers tocorrectly position said coupling head. i

2. In an automatic air brake coupling, brackets, hangers movablysupported by said brackets, a tubular body movably sup ported by saidhangers, a coupling head carried by said body and in communicationtherewith, a valve adapted to control the communication between saidhead and said body, means arranged in said body and adapted to normallymaintain said valve closed, means arranged in said coupling head andadapted to be actuated by another head to open said valve, meansincluding socket members carried by said coupling head and adapted tomaintain another head in engagement therewith, and means encircling saidbody and adapted to normally maintain said body in the forward position.

3. In an automatic air brake coupling, brackets capable of beingsuspended from a car, hangers movably supported by said bracket, atubular body movably mounted in said hangers and communicating with atrain pipe, a coupling head carried by said body and in communicationtherewith, a valve for controlling communication be tween said head andbody and provided with a stem projecting in said coupling head andcapable of being shifted and maintained in shifted position by anopposing coupling head, thereby establishing communication between itsrespective tubular body and coupling head, and means carried by saidbracket for adjusting the hanger to operative position with respect tosaid first mentioned coupling head.

4. In an automatic air brake coupling, brackets capable of beingsuspended. from a car, hangers movably supported by said bracket, atubular body movably mounted in said hangers and communicating with atrain pipe, a coupling head carried by said body and in communicationtherewith, a

valve for controlling communication between said head and body andprovided with a stem projecting in said coupling head and capable ofbeing shifted and maintained in shifted position by an opposing couplinghead, thereby establishing communication between its respective tubularbody and coupling head, means carried by said bracket for adjusting thehanger to operative position withrespect to said first mentionedcoupling head. and means for normally maintaining said body inengagement with said hangers.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT J. MITCHELL. Witnesses:

Joe. E. GRUNDY, CHARLES L. .Tosrrcn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

